A seasoned pro in the industry knows, the mortgage rates in the big picture, are still low.

1971 was the first year Freddie Mac started surveying mortgage lenders, and 30-year fixed-rate mortgages hovered between 7.29% and 7.73%.

Fast forward to today; and 5% would be considered low. But to those new in this industry it may seem that the sky is falling at 5%! Unless you are a 25 year veteran that has seen these fluctuations 1st hand to realize; this is not a panic situation.

Meet James Tennell, a senior loan officer with NEXA mortgage. James was formally educated at the University of Phoenix with an MBA. His past experiences in investment sales, loan officer, consultant and Mortgage banker have provided him the wisdom to know that this is still a great time to purchase real estate.

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As he has served others for over a 1/4 of a century in this industry, he says: "I bought a house but before that, I had the desire to to be in the real estate related industry. So again, I bought a house and experienced both sides of the process; the real estate buying side and the financing side and I just found out.. I like this financing side much better."

When we asked, should consumers be alarmed right now at these new rates? James explains: " The market is a cyclical thing, you know, and that's what I found over the many years I've been doing this. There have been ups and downs through the years. But if you look at the average that we've seen over like 25 years we're still below that average right now. There's many programs that are available that can help my clients and borrowers to still stay well below that average that we've seen over the last quarter century or so. So no, we shouldn't be surprised and we shouldn't be alarmed."

So before anyone, especially 1st time home buyers get overwhelmed; it is best to reach out to a mortgage specialist like James who loves relaxing the 1st timers. He says "first-time homebuyers are also kind of a bread and butter part of my business. Because it can be a little stressful and overwhelming to a lot of people, doing a home purchase for the very first time. I bring a lot of experience in that I explain and pretty much try to eliminate the anxiety and the stress. You know I tell my customers jokingly; I need 150 questions from you minimum, so that they can feel comfortable in the process."

Watch the full interview below with James Tennell and you will see why this veteran professional can normally help you faster and do it less expensive than many others across the nation.

And no, we at Consumer News do not get compensated for you choosing this professional, we just love introducing the professional in your area! We do hope you reach out to him HERE.